Elizabeth S. Moore has worked as a journalist since she won the Decanter Young Wine Writer of the Year at seventeen, writing columns and articles on restaurants, politics, South Africa and all things foodie. She comes from a family that has given her a lot of writing material and is currently finishing her second book, having written the first after completing the Faber Write a Novel course and being approached by fourteen agents after reading an excerpt of her novel to industry professionals. [related]

What in particular inspired your bestselling debut novel, The Man on the Middle Floor?

The book was inspired both by a lovely boy I know and by the rise in numbers of children on the spectrum. I am a landlord in London and see the disconnection of my tenants as representational of the 3 million people who live alone in this city, where you no longer know your neighbours or even the people under the same roof. Every creature needs to receive and understand love and nurture, but today’s world seems to have caused a doom storm of lonely individuals.

You say your family has given you a lot of writing material; can you explain a little more about that?

Both my father and my mother were very strong characters, while one of my sisters was a Gladiator and a pole vaulter while the other lived a high-profile life with a series of celebrities. My father had been married before, although we were unaware of that until my mother died. To say they are all extreme characters would be an understatement, while the familial structure cast me as the scapegoat. It was, in many ways, terrible but yes - full of material!

You wrote this first book after completing the Faber Write a Novel course. What made you decide to do the course?

I decided to do it when my fourth and youngest child turned 18. The catalyst for picking up the phone and booking was reading Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson, who had also done the course. I’d always written as a journalist but I wanted to start to believe in myself as a novelist. Meeting a whole new group of people and writing weekly builds your confidence. I found the feedback so helpful, and it made me believe the book was a real possibility.

Can you tell us a little about your next writing project?

I’ve actually got two, a book called The Making of a Sociopath which is a psychological thriller about a forensic criminal psychologist whose life becomes more and more entwined with a patient’s, and The Boy from Baron Street, which is set in Syria and in the U.A.E. It’s the story of a boy who leaves Aleppo because of the revolution and travels to Dubai to start a street food business and then a restaurant fusing Syrian and Emirati food. It’s a little like the story of the Orfali Bros., and I have them on board supplying recipes and anecdotes. I’m loving having the chance to get to know this region.

Are there any authors that you particularly admire, or who you feel have influenced your story telling?

I love the classics, Wuthering Heights, Dracula, anything with strong characters. I hate chintz, so Jane Austen does nothing for me. Even Shakespeare has to be the tragedies not the comedies. I always have a Paulo Coelho by my bed, while poetry is a great love too.

Have you been to Sharjah before? What are you hoping to gain from your visit to the book fair this year?

I’ve been to Dubai before but not Sharjah. My best friend moved to the U.A.E. from the U.K. and I love coming out - there’s something for everyone here. I want to really explore the book fair, see friends, see what the publishing trends are out here and how I can get on board. I’m glad I’m writing a book set here, as so few people understand that you can sit by the harbour watching the boats, go to a food market and pick vegetables on a farm. I would encourage anyone to come and find the many sides of the U.A.E.